Juan Cole has heard a rumor about a pending Iraqi coup.

[Tigermoose]

Military Coup Planned for Iraq?

"I received the following from a reliable, knowledgeable contact. There is no certitude that this plan can or will be implemented. That it is being discussed at high levels seems highly likely.

"There is serious talk of a military commission (majlis `askari) to take over the government. The parties would be banned from holding positions, and all the ministers would be technocrats, so to speak. . .

The six-member board or commission would be composed on non-political former military personnel who are presently not part of the government OR the military establishment, such as it is in Iraq at the moment. It is said that the Americans are supporting this behind the scenes."

...more...

[Joe for Clark]

1. SO basically we will end up replacing Saddam with

something that very much ressembles Saddam.

This whole thing is a bad joke.

Joe

[Tigermoose]

2. Ahh...but this Sadaam will give our corps access to all that oil!

So he is a good guy.

[idgiehkt]

3. amen.

sad.

[DURHAM D]

4. So all of the Bathists are taking a bath -

and getting their old uniforms ready.

This should please the House of Saud and Israel.

[SoCalDem]

5. Moqtada al Sadr will be the "new boss".. Maybe not right away, but he will end up the boss

mark my words..

We have had him cornered many times, and yet have always backed off from killing or capturing him..why? He's got backing. and we are afraid of his "people"..

He's got "dictator" written all over him.

[Joe for Clark]

10. Maybe -

But I am pretty suire hs has a big target on his head right now.

Joe

[Cooley Hurd]

11. Yep... he has power that we cannot control - PLUS he's a nationalist...

A future Ayatollah, no doubt.

[BlooInBloo]

6. There is no Iraq.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. So as Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam. so Maliki is Arabic for Diem.

??

[roamer65]

24. You got that right.

Ngo Dinh Diem II, the sequel.

[HereSince1628]

8. Governance is so much easier with a military junta. Just ask Musharraf

And the strong man gets to play the role of Saddam Hussein.

So, replace the dictatorship, get the secret police in place, repair the electricity and Iraq will be as good as it was when the sanctions were replaced by shock and awe.

You always want to leave a campsite just like you found it.

[Tigermoose]

16. I think this explains "The Surge"

We want maximal troop presence in Iraq during this coup in case violence breaks out.

[Robbien]

9. Wait a minute. How does this fit in with "the surge is working"?

A coup in the middle of all the September 11th Bushie surge is working spiel?

Not that I am doubting this news may be real. Just wondering how all this stuff fits together.

[Joe for Clark]

12. I don't think it does fit. Why should it.

This so totally out of control at this point.

Well, in truth it always was - it is just getting gemetrically worse by the day.

Joe

[Tigermoose]

13. Our excuse for an honorable retreat?

"The people of Iraq couldn't make Democracy work."

[madokie]

15. remember we're in bush*world now

nothing makes sense anymore

[kimmerspixelated]

21. And God what a nightmare it is!!

[madokie]

23. ain't it though

If someone would have told me this shit was coming, hell just ten years ago I would have laughed out loud, well hell I guess the joke is on me after all.

[youngdem]

14. Ah. New boss same as the old boss.

Sure am glad we spent a trillion dollars, four thousand dead Americans, fifty thousand wounded Americans, a million dead Iraqis, our army readiness and our nation's credibility replacing one dictator with another.

Fucking great.

Dante needs to rewrite Inferno to create a new level of hell JUST for the Bush administration.

[Disturbed]

17. Maliki sealed his fate with this visit.

This will work in Busholini's favor. He defended Maliki by saying, "He's a good guy." When Maliki is kicked out Busholini will say that in spite of his support for this good guy it wasn't meant to be & now the US Occupation must continue to give the "new Leader" a chance to govern Iraq.

[Disturbed]

18. Behind the curtain.

A powerhouse Republican lobbying firm with close ties to the White House has begun a public campaign to undermine the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, CNN has confirmed.

This comes as President Bush is publicly taking great pains to reiterate his support for the embattled Iraqi leader, whose government has come under sharp criticism and scrutiny from Washington lawmakers and officials and Thursday’s National Intelligence Estimate.

A senior Bush administration official told CNN the White House is aware of the lobbying campaign by Barbour Griffith & Rogers because the firm is “blasting e-mails all over town” criticizing al-Maliki and promoting the firm’s client, former interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, as an alternative to the current Iraqi leader.


http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/12642.htm...

[OzarkDem]

20. WTF?

We've replaced diplomacy and UN peacekeeping with military coup by DC PR firms? How many former U.S. presidents are turning over in their graves?

[Joe for Clark]

25. All of them.

Joe

[Joe for Clark]

19. What a great post!!!!

Joe

[Disturbed]

22. A refefresher on the "new Boss".

Red Cross Named Jail Before Alleged Killings by Iraqi PM
... Iyad Allawi, is alleged to have executed as many as six suspected insurgents. ... The detainees' allegations and a Red Cross demand for a thorough ...

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0722-09.htm

[youngdem]

26. Thanks Joe. Appreciate it.

[Jacobin]

27. Ah, yes. the Vietnam analogy continues

We also installed President Thieu in a fake election in S. Vietnam, when things weren't going our way.
That worked out well................er, not.